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Vanuatu sailors seek government help over grievances

Vanuatu's acting Minister of Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Ham Lini, has told the Vanuatu Seafarers Association the government will do its best to address the issues they face.

At the end of a march marking International Seafarers Day the sailors showed the government a video detailing their concerns.

The video shows a long list of complaints about the ships they work on, including being underpaid, non-stop working hours, diets of tinned fish and rice meals, grim living conditions and a lack of life insurance cover.

Many of the sailors work on foreign ships but they say ni-Vanuatu ship owners are among the worst when it comes to paying their crew on time.